2. periood

Day 3

Okey, so I had one more hour to go. I arrived 12 sharp on the 30th of October.

It was very easy this time around. I said hello, took a strap and headed outside to where the dogs are kept. A cute male cought my attention just beside the door. The sign on his cage read "Võib jalutada", but as soon as I opened his cage-door, he hid to his little room inside. I talked to him and petted him and tried to convince him, I'm good. It didn't help. I want out. He came out. I tried again, he bailed. Them one of the animal shelter workers came up and asked wat's the matter. I already knew her from our previews encounters. I told her the dog was shy and didn't trust me. She said she would like me to take him out so she called him herself. And he came. A little shaky, but still.

He was a whole different dog once we got out. He jumped around, ran everywhere I let him, sniffed everything. I took him on a long walk.

Then I said good-bye to him and Kadi Liis. She said we had been a lot of help. That was nice to hear.

Overall I'm happy with my first CAS-project. I do hope to be doing something else this period thow.

Just a trivial squib

Day 2

I reached the animal shelter by 12:12. Saw Kristi, she was weeding out a flowerbed just inside the area. Went inside and was immediately told I can join her. I didn't really mind that, because we could chat threw it. Last time me and Katharina couldn't talk because the dogs were barking very loudly. Time passed much more quickly today. So feelings--right now I feel like writing in English wasn't such a good idea. Earlier today I felt motivated, since I could also spend time with my friend while working. Sadly she had to go after an hour or so. I continued weeding out. At some point I went and got my iPod. Love that thing. After dealing with the weeds (I was unsure of the area I was supposed to cover since it was not exactly marked) I dragged all 4 of our garbage bags beside the door. They were really heavy. Then I brought a rake and evened out the freshly cleaned earth. I'm a bit of a perfectionist sometimes. Then I asked for a pushcart from Kadi-Liis, but she said she'll take care of the bags herself. Then I still wanted to sweep the pavement clean from dirt. So I did it. Wasn't hard. Then I felt satisfied.

I had never walked one of the dogs there before. I wanted to, last saturday, but it started raining. So I did this time. I carefully choose a female, who seemed very calm and reasonable, althow only 2 yrs old. Well....she wasn't as calm as I had thought. Walking out the gate I saw dogs head-on and right so I headed left. She pulled really strongly. I thought that since I had to go to the city myself I could check out where the bus-stop was. Kristi had explaned where to go, before her mum picked her up. I had to go straight, left, straight, left, see houses, go straight and see the bus-stop on my right. So I thought it would be smart to find it in advance.

I made as big of a circle as I could with the dog, before my hands were really hurting from the strap. It wasn't a particulary nice walk. The area was dirty, there was trash on the ground and car tires lying around. Not nice at all.

As I went back and started putting my dog into her cage, it was already inhabited. I released her to a neighbouring cage and went for help. One of the women in the reception came with me and figured out where the other dog was from. She did ask me to deal with the dog whom I had walked myself since they didn't get along at all. Iwas surprised but pleased that the dog liked me.

I was washing my hands when a family choose a dog from a nestling which had diminished by 3 heads during the past week. And as I was collecting my things I saw that they took one of the puppies home with them.

A thing that bothered me was the way the workers there somewhat mocked some of the people who came to walk the dogs. Just...don't. Find something else to entertain yourself. And also last time when Katharina and I were in the cat's room I made a remark about the workers whom we saw chilling in their smoking corner from the window. She, for she has been there often, said that they do hang out there a lot. Just a trivial squib.

A funny thing--people seemed to think I actually worked there, they asked me questions about the dogs' personalities. I knew a little about some but still heared myself say "I'm a volunteer". The workers also talked to me more.

So by the time I left to catch the bus I had been there for 4 hours already.

Silvia ÜKT praktika

Päev 1

Läksin 12ks kohale Loomade Hoiupaika. Valisin selle oma praktikaks, sest olen juba kaua mõelnud, et võiks sinna appi minna. Paljud mu sõbrad käivad varjupaigakoertega jalutamas. Ma olen seda seni vältinud, sest kartsin, et see pole mitte tore, vaid kurvastav kogemus. Täna igal juhul siis võtsin kätte ja lasin end kohale sõidutada.

Lepingu sõlmimine käis lihtsalt, mu juhendaja Kadi-Liis Kesler teadis juba, mida teha, kuhu midagi kirjutada jne. Ta küsis, kas olen koera-või kassiinimene. Ma olen loomulikult koera-inimene. Mu koer ongi Loomade Hoiupaigast võetud, veidi üle aasta tagasi. Tšikk <-- oli oma pesakonnas viimane. Kohe kui teda nägin, teadsin, et ta on minu oma.

Tänagi oli Hoiupaigas kaks pesakonda kutsikaid. Esimesed olid pisikesed musta-valgekirjud nupsikud, kes meenutasid mulle veidi Tšikki. Teisi hoiti väljas ja liigsuurte käppade järgi oli aru saada, et nad kasvavad üpris suurteks. Enamus olid liivakarva, üks must ja nende karvkate oli hästi õhuline ja pehme, kui neid läbi puurivõre paitasin. Nad hakkasid kohe sõrmi lakkuma ja kaklesid tähelepanu pärast.

Kadi-Liis rääkis, et varjupaigakoerad tavaliselt ei salli teineteist just selle pärast. Kõik tahavad ise märgatud saada. Kõik nad tahavad hoolt. Just see ongi kurb. Nad elavad päevast-päeva seal betooni peal ja ootavad. Ma arvan, et ega nad ise ei teagi, mida nad ootavad. Või sedagi mis neid ootab.

Minu ülesandeks oli rohida puhtaks koerte välipuuride vaheline ala. Muidu on seal kruus, aga selle vahelt olid välja kasvanud umbrohud. Mulle anti sinised kummikindad ja must prügikott ning näidati, mis ala mu päevatöö hõlmab. Töö oli veidi vaevanõudev ja veidi tüütu, aga oskasin seda oodata ning see ei häirinud mind. Alguses tundus, et oleks võinud iPodi kaasa võtta, aga koerad haukusid vahet pidamata ja hirmus kõvasti. See oli päris hull lärm, rääkida küll ei saanud.

Vahepeal tegid koerad imelikke hääli. Kadi-Liis ütles, et see on köha. Neil levib seal koerte gripi taoline viirus, mis nakkab koeralt-koerale õhu kaudu. Kui koer selle läbi põeb, siis on ta immuune, aga alati on mõni koer, kes on haige. Et sellest lahti saada, tuleks terve maja umbes kuuks ajaks tühjaks teha, aga seda nad ei saa, sest loomi on lihtsalt niivõrd palju.

Olin alles veidi aega tööd teinud, kui nurga tagant sõna otseses mõttes hüppasid välja Kristi (Männamets) ja Katharina (Ojamets). Katharina tuli mulle appi ja Kristi läks koeraga jalutama, sest ta ei saanud kaua olla. Koos läks töö kiiremini ja pärast kahte-poolt tundi oli vajalik ala rohitud ja rehitsetud. Prügikotid olid üllatavalt rasked, kui arvestada, et nende sees oli vaid umbrohi. Lõpupoole hakkas veidi tibutama, mis meie tööle oli tegelikult hea, sest me olime kruusa vahelt mulla koos soovimatute taimede juurtega välja kiskunud ja vihm uhus selle tagasi kivikeste alla. Lõpetasime just enne, kui taevased luugid täiesti valla lasti. Paduka ajal pesime käed ja mängisime pool tundi kassidega. Ma oleks tahtnud veel koeraga jalutama minna, aga vihmaga ei tundunud see nii hea mõte.

Kõik kassid magasid, kui nende juurde läksime. Ükski ei tahtnud mängida, kuigi oli nühkijaid, jälitajaid ja hammustajaid. Väga armas stseen, mida nägime, oli see, kuidas kaks kassi üksteist kordamööda pesid.

Ja oligi aeg minna. Katharina jalutas bussi peale, aga mina käisin veel korra kutsikaid vaatamas, enne kui teises suunas läksin.